Solar panels are complicated, but efficiency & warranties aren't!
Here’s the thing about solar panels: they all look like black rectangles on your roof, but under the hood they’re wildly different. Telling them apart is pretty tough.
However, there's a simpler way to navigate the data, because here's what it boils down to - every manufacturer is chasing the same thing — more efficiency, reliability, and less long term degradation.
HJT, shingle cells, bi-facial, ABC… these are all different tricks of the trade to squeeze out a little more power per square metre. And unless you really want to impress people at BBQs, you don’t need to memorise the acronyms!
Industry wide changes in technology mark industry wide leaps in efficiency and degradation gains (or losses 🤔) .
For example, when the industry shifted from old-school P-Type to N-Type panels, efficiency leapt by about 1.5%. That’s a huge deal in solar terms.
Our blog on the idea is probably the most entertaining read in or blog-stack: Why N-Type Solar Panels Leave P-Type in the Dust.
So, what really matters? What should you be looking at?
Efficiency Benchmarks
- 22.2% or less → Think of these as older-gen panels. They’ll work fine, but they're probably a model that was release before 2023.
- 22.2–23% → This is today’s sweet spot. Great performance, proven reliability, and most importantly - usually they come at a great price.
- 23% and above → Cutting-edge tech and generally on the pricier side. But FYI - by 'pricey'- the cost might only be $50 more per panel on your quote. This is because the cost price on panels these days sits between $100 - $200 per unit, depending on the brand.
What Else Should You Look For?
- Warranties – Long ones are nice, but only if the company will actually be around to honour them.
- Financial health – Shiny brochures don’t pay warranty claims. If the manufacturer goes belly-up, your warranty will be worth less than a Weet-Bix box.
- Appearance – Black-on-black panels look slick; silver edges can scream “budget system.” Depends on your preference. Generally, Silver Edged panels are marginally more efficient than all black, for the same price.
The devil is in the detail
Here’s where things get interesting. Not all solar panel manufacturers have good financials. In fact, most of them are sub-par; because the solar-economy is ultra competitive. Its similar to the Chinese-EV industry, where industry experts call it a 'blood bath'. But don't panic; the solar panel industry is less chaotic and there are some great names out there!
What really grinds our gears is when companies lean heavily on Bloomberg's 'Tier 1' accreditation, which is awarded to solar companies that are 'bankable' ; whatever that means!
An interesting example here in NZ would be the heavily advertised Aiko panels, which were recently awarded the Bloomberg Tier 1 accreditation. Like most other solar panels, the Tier 1 accreditation is waved around like a sausage at a doggy daycare. Sounds great until you do some digging and find that analyst sites like GuruFocus rate Aiko’s financial health as being worse than a McDonalds franchise during a decade long potato-beef-pocalypse.
So what does Tier 1 even mean? To answer this, you can look at their methodology. Summarising things, Tier 1 is awarded to companies that 'sell lots'. You know who else sells lots? China. China sells lots. So why don't we give the whole country a Tier 1? Might as well throw it around like player of the day after each first-kicks match.
So yeah, Gurufocus, a renowned analyst website gives Aiko a financial strength rating of 2 / 10. Two out of Ten.
Make sure you lick that ice cream.
Efficiency means nothing if the company behind it can’t back the promise.
What that means for you: tread carefully. The marketing may look great, but financial stability? Not so much.
Some notable heavy weights
LONGi is one of the largest solar panel makers on Earth. They’ve got size, staying power, and keep ranking as one of the most “bankable” brands in the industry, by analysts who actually use calculators. Like everyone else, they’ve faced some ups and downs in the supply chain, but they’re not going anywhere anytime soon.
Hyundai’s solar division is part of HD Hyundai — the same global group behind cars, ships, and heavy industry. That’s deep-pocketed corporate backing you just don’t get with solar-only brands.
What that means for you: if stability and long-term warranty confidence matter, Hyundai brings big-company ballast to the table.
And many more...
So, What’s the Takeaway?
Solar panel tech is always evolving. Today’s big players are obsessed with wringing out extra efficiency, and the N-Type shift was a clear step forward. But don’t get blinded by glossy ads, sales pitches, or a single “efficiency number.”
A 24% efficient panel from a company circling the financial drain? Risky.
Oh and by the way; the company primarily selling Aiko changes its brand of panels almost every year. And you know what - the other brands they sold were also pitched as 'the worlds best'. Same with the batteries they offer.
LG and Panasonic realised they were better at making TV's than solar panels. Not to mention those LG batteries had a challenge with something called 'fire' -(not exactly sure what that means?) If someone was brave enough to google 'LG Chem Battery Fire' the answer might be revealed more clearly.
When the owner of some 'company' tells you their product is the best in the world, think twice. Because that's what they said last time, the time before that, and the time before that.
A solid 22.5% efficient panel from a financially healthy, long-standing manufacturer? Smart.
That’s why we spend so much time kicking the tyres on both the tech and the companies before recommending panels.
Because the real investment isn’t just in silicon and glass — it’s in the people backing your warranty.
âš¡ Want the straight story on solar without the marketing fluff? That’s what we do best.
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We’ve pulled this info from publicly available sources and industry reports. Numbers can change, companies rise and fall, and sometimes solar brands look shinier in ads than on the balance sheet. Don’t treat this as financial advice—treat it as a nudge to ask better questions before you buy panels. Our opinion is just one slice of the pizza.
